There is no admission that the background art disclosed in this section legally constitutes prior art.
There have been many different types and kinds of portals for cables and the like. Reference may be made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,966,073; 4,688,491; 4,950,839; 5,167,047; 5,860,713; 6,254,427; 6,393,658; 6,895,634; 7,383,610; 7,390,979; and 7,788,766; as well as European patent 1,746,699 and Japanese patent application 07287446.
While a variety of portals have been shown and described in prior patents, there still has existed a long felt need for a device that can be easily and unobtrusively added to a variety of existing furniture where users have already become accustomed to connecting and parking their portable devices. Manufacturers and marketers of desks and furniture have also sought a solution for managing the needs of these portable devices which may be easy to install without adding significant manufacturing cost.